By Rob Potter
MONGAUP VALLEY — July 6, 2004 – The Roark’s Tavern team showed a knack for coming up with timely hits last Thursday night at Edward M. Collins Memorial Park in Mongaup Valley.
Four times during its Sullivan County Women’s Softball League “A” Division game versus L&B Tack, a Roark’s batter stepped to the plate with two outs and delivered a hit that scored at least one run and allowed the next batter a chance to continue the rally.
Those hits were key as Roark’s posted a 13-10 win over L&B.
Roark’s improved its record to 6-5 on the season, while L&B fell to 9-4.
The first Roark’s two-out hit that increased the team’s run total came in the top of the fourth. Roark’s entered the inning down 5-3, but quickly took a 7-5 lead on an RBI double by Shannon Holland and two L&B errors. After the second out of the frame had been recorded, Amy Brudermann hit a bloop single to left field that allowed teammates Kim Bradley and Theresa Nietzel to score and boost the Roark’s lead to 9-5.
In the top of the fifth, Roark’s scored four runs after the first two batters of the inning recorded outs. With two runners on base, Kathy Jo Hoyt ripped a single to left field to make it a 10-5 contest. The next batter, Bradley, doubled to left field, which brought Ashlee Matthews and Hoyt around to score. Tini Kaiser followed with an RBI single to score Bradley. Roark’s then held a 13-5 advantage.
But L&B wasn’t about to quietly accept a loss. With two outs in the bottom of the fifth and two runners on base, Lori Perry hit a bloop single to load the bases. Barb Stubits then stroked a single to left field, which scored both Lori Froelich and Lacy Dalrymple to make it a 13-7 game.
After Stubits, who pitched the entire game for L&B, set the Roark’s batters down in order in the top of the sixth, L&B closed its deficit even more. Dalrymple hit a two-out single to bring Janet Calangelo across home plate with L&B’s eighth run of the contest. The next batter, Joyce Blackman, reached base on an error and Megan Quinn scored on the play to make it a 13-9 game.
L&B attempted another two-out rally in the bottom of the seventh. After Calangelo scored with two outs to cut the Roark’s lead to 13-10, L&B loaded the bases.
But Roark’s pitcher Lisa Benjamin calmly induced a groundout to end the game and preserve her team’s win.
“Every player had a good bat tonight,” Roark’s captain Theresa Nietzel said. “We got good hits when we needed to have them.”
Nietzel was quick to praise the opposition.
“They are one of the most competitive teams we play,” she said of L&B. “They always play hard.”
Greg Merton, coach of the L&B team, was happy with the way his squad competed throughout the contest.
“They fought back and played well,” he said of his players. “The defense was good and the offense was good.”
Merton added that the difference in the game was simply those timely hits by Roark’s.
“They had a couple of nice hits when they had runners on base,” he commented. “They are a good team and they played well tonight.”

Charlie’s Angels
Win Again
In other Sullivan County Women’s Softball League action last Thursday evening, Charlie’s Angels improved its record to a perfect 13-0.
Charlie’s Angels defeated Mr. Willy’s, 14-12, in a game at the Liberty Elementary School softball field.
Leading the way for the Angels were Tonya Martin, who blasted a two-run home run, and Leanne Mangabang, who had a triple and two RBI.
Lisa Krom picked up the win on the mound.